People scoffed as Philippe Senderos, Joe Cole, Kieran Richardson and Aly Cissokho arrived – but it all seems part of a broader plan. And if you followed with the punchline, ‘what, to get relegated?’ then you’ve kind of proved the point.

Those four may not be young but they’re certainly hungry – to rid themselves of battered reputations and revive flagging careers. On the evidence of the first two Premier League games, Senderos, Richardson and Cissokho are all showing signs of recovery from error dependency.

The next to be rehabilitated at the Lambert Clinic appears to be Tom Cleverley, after Manchester United reportedly accepted an £8 million bid from Villa.

Plenty have had some fun at our expense but, rather than making us the laughing stock of the league, this tactic of providing a fresh start to players down on their luck might have something to it.

With wages tight at Villa, the club needs a different USP to attract players.

In the last couple of seasons, we’ve sold the club to starstruck youngsters from the Football League and Europe but many were underwhelming.

This summer’s signings boast more impressive CVs and, rather than big contracts, have been lured with big promises – Cleverley, for example, may well see a move as a platform to relaunch his England career.

He’s a better player than his critics make out. He was in the top 20 for pass success rate in the Premier League last season (89.6%) and while he may not take the risks of the likes of Mesut Ozil (88%), Gareth Barry (86.7%) and Steven Gerrard (86%), retaining the ball is crucial to adopting an easier-on-the-eye style at Villa Park.

Cleverley’s biggest problem is shattered confidence. At Wigan on loan and in his early days in the United team, he looked to have great potential – but irregular football, injuries, some iffy performances and mocked England appearances have made him a scapegoat amid the sudden Old Trafford malaise.

Now he’s being told he’s an £8 million player – and yes, that fee is far too high, by about £2-3 million – it may give him a feeling of self-worth.

The money supposedly being splashed on Cleverley poses a couple of questions.

Has Randy Lerner ‘re-engaged’ with Villa and therefore prepared to keep up with the spending of mid-table rivals such as Hull, Stoke and Swansea?